[ After Tenn preps some food for the gathering -- and miraculously lingers for a while, too -- he'll retreat into the comfort of his room. Riku's things are still there. His clothes, items from home, and bow and arrow are all out for display.
Tenn would probably tear up again if he wasn't so exhausted and out of tears to cry, and his eyes are puffy as he lies down on his bed and blankly stares up at the ceiling. ]
[Marcus isn't doing much better, in all honesty, not now that someone is going to die because he'd tried so hard to prove his innocence. But Phil is alive, which is one thing he has that Tenn doesn't, and it's for that reason that he finally forces himself up and to the kitchen to try to throw together something simple.
It's a little harder than he'd expected with his arm twinging sharply with each movement, but at last he manages a basic stirfry and, bowl in hand, makes his way to room 3 and taps softly on the door.]
[ For what it's worth, Tenn doesn't blame Marcus for SQ's death at all. He blames himself for making the wrong choice there, but most of all, he blames the culprit for being cowardly and refusing to own up to their actions.
That, however, is admittedly not the first thing on his mind right now. He's still mourning over Riku, and c-ta's words -- This is your fault, Tenn Kujo -- keep on repeating in his head. His thoughts are thankfully interrupted though when he hears another knock on his door.
He's grateful that people are checking in on him, but he also feels bad that he can't be any better than he is right now. Still, he opens the door -- ]
[The cheer - if it can even be called that - is forced, but the sentiment behind it is genuine. There's some part of him that can't help but want to look after people who need it (not surprising, honestly, given the person he knows had a large influence on his own creation), and right now he's well aware that Tenn probably needs company more than he needs to be able to wallow in his own sorrow and misery.
Perhaps it's a little selfish to also want a distraction from his own thoughts, but... he doesn't really like the idea of being all alone with them, either.]
[ He looks at the food and holds his hands out to take it from Marcus. He's not very hungry, but Marcus went out of his way to make this for him. It'd be discourteous if Tenn didn't at least attempt to eat some of it. (It also looks pretty good, too!)
He gives Marcus a nod. ]
That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.
[ However, that being said... Marcus was under fire during the trial, wasn't he? Tenn didn't suspect him, mostly because he refused to believe someone as kind as him could ever do something like this and try to get away with it. He also remembers how Marcus did his best to hold Yor back from attacking C-ta, which would have cost her her life. Tenn wants to believe his trust in Marcus isn't misplaced. ]
You had a rough time today, too. I hope you ate something before you made this.
[Marcus' answer to that question is a slight shrug... the real answer would be no, but he knows that saying as much out loud wouldn't do anything to contribute positively to the current situation. Silence it is, at least for the time being.]
Don't mention it-- it's something useful I could do.
[Not like... well. He doesn't really want to dwell on that right now.]
Guess I'm still getting used to not being able to solve problems by swinging a sword around or talking things out.
[The latter might be a drastically simplified version of what he usually ends up doing, but the sentiment is the same. He doesn't like feeling this helpless in general; today's events have taken that feeling and amplified it a thousand-fold.]
[ He's never had to swing around a sword before, but he's certainly never had to sentence people to their deaths, either. The world Hamelin's created is so cruel and unfair.
But...he doesn't want to be alone, even so. In fact, he'll even step aside as a way to let Marcus know he's welcome to stick around if he wants to. Maybe he doesn't want to be alone right now, either, even if he has Phil. ]
[ Another week, another trial. Another set of people being sentenced to death, and this time around, he's just sad. There's anger directed at Rika because of what she did to Adora, but even then, he wishes she didn't have to die. The guilt he feels over Moriarty is insurmountable, too.
All in all, he's tired. He's handling this a lot better than he was these past few weeks, but he's still holing himself up in his room nevertheless. He'll be out soon. He just needs a moment. ]
[He's not surprised that Tenn disappeared after the trial, not after what had happened... he doesn't fault him for anything, certainly, but as he knows well from personal experience, it doesn't matter whether or not anyone else blames you for something when you're busy heaping blame upon yourself.
He's here tapping lightly on Tenn's door in the interest of stopping that spiral before it goes too deep; it might be that he can't do much in that sense, but hey, he's at least going to try.]
[ Tenn answers the door, fully prepared to put on a brave face and insist he'll be okay. But...when he opens it up, he's met with Marcus' presence.
There's something about Marcus being around that gets Tenn to let his walls down. He just feels like someone who's safe to be around. Someone Tenn can trust with this kind of vulnerability. So...as soon as he sees Marcus, his expression turns pained, remorseful. ]
[In many ways, Marcus is used to looking after people. Maybe it's an offshoot of having had to look after Phil for twenty years, or maybe it's just a function of being a mirrite... he's not really sure, and he's never bothered to give it all that much thought.
While he's not used to having that instinct kicked into quite so high gear, this place sure seems to be good at doing just that. One look at the expression on Tenn's face is enough to get him to hold out his arms in a silent invitation; whether or not Tenn wants to take it is entirely up to him.
Something tells him that he knows what the answer is going to be, though.]
[ He's going to take Marcus up on that invitation and move in for the hug. His shoulders are shaking, like he's trying his best not to cry and hold it together. But...he's incredibly torn up about what took place at that trial, and he grits his teeth. ]
[There we go. He brings his arms up to encircle him and just rubs his back gently-- if Tenn wants to cry, he won't breathe a word to anyone else about it.]
No, you didn't. The only one with blood on his hands here is Hamelin for putting us all in this game of his in the first place.
[It's said gently, more an attempt to steady him than anything else.]
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know him as well as you do, but he sure didn't seem angry at you for telling the truth back there. Or am I misremembering things?
[ Tenn is 99% sure of it, anyway. He'd have known if Moriarty was mad, he's pretty sure -- and that was not behavior of a man who was upset with him in that way. ]
I don't know what he's thinking a lot of the time. That guy is mysterious...
Look. I'm not gonna tell you how to feel about what happened, but I am gonna tell you that blaming yourself for it isn't going to do anyone any good. All it'll do is play right into what Hamelin wants from us.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
post-second trial, room 3
Tenn would probably tear up again if he wasn't so exhausted and out of tears to cry, and his eyes are puffy as he lies down on his bed and blankly stares up at the ceiling. ]
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It's a little harder than he'd expected with his arm twinging sharply with each movement, but at last he manages a basic stirfry and, bowl in hand, makes his way to room 3 and taps softly on the door.]
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That, however, is admittedly not the first thing on his mind right now. He's still mourning over Riku, and c-ta's words -- This is your fault, Tenn Kujo -- keep on repeating in his head. His thoughts are thankfully interrupted though when he hears another knock on his door.
He's grateful that people are checking in on him, but he also feels bad that he can't be any better than he is right now. Still, he opens the door -- ]
...Marcus-san.
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[The cheer - if it can even be called that - is forced, but the sentiment behind it is genuine. There's some part of him that can't help but want to look after people who need it (not surprising, honestly, given the person he knows had a large influence on his own creation), and right now he's well aware that Tenn probably needs company more than he needs to be able to wallow in his own sorrow and misery.
Perhaps it's a little selfish to also want a distraction from his own thoughts, but... he doesn't really like the idea of being all alone with them, either.]
Thought you might want something to eat.
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[ He looks at the food and holds his hands out to take it from Marcus. He's not very hungry, but Marcus went out of his way to make this for him. It'd be discourteous if Tenn didn't at least attempt to eat some of it. (It also looks pretty good, too!)
He gives Marcus a nod. ]
That was thoughtful of you. Thank you.
[ However, that being said... Marcus was under fire during the trial, wasn't he? Tenn didn't suspect him, mostly because he refused to believe someone as kind as him could ever do something like this and try to get away with it. He also remembers how Marcus did his best to hold Yor back from attacking C-ta, which would have cost her her life. Tenn wants to believe his trust in Marcus isn't misplaced. ]
You had a rough time today, too. I hope you ate something before you made this.
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Don't mention it-- it's something useful I could do.
[Not like... well. He doesn't really want to dwell on that right now.]
Guess I'm still getting used to not being able to solve problems by swinging a sword around or talking things out.
[The latter might be a drastically simplified version of what he usually ends up doing, but the sentiment is the same. He doesn't like feeling this helpless in general; today's events have taken that feeling and amplified it a thousand-fold.]
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...Yeah. I get it.
[ He's never had to swing around a sword before, but he's certainly never had to sentence people to their deaths, either. The world Hamelin's created is so cruel and unfair.
But...he doesn't want to be alone, even so. In fact, he'll even step aside as a way to let Marcus know he's welcome to stick around if he wants to. Maybe he doesn't want to be alone right now, either, even if he has Phil. ]
If you want.
week 4, friday, post-trial
All in all, he's tired. He's handling this a lot better than he was these past few weeks, but he's still holing himself up in his room nevertheless. He'll be out soon. He just needs a moment. ]
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He's here tapping lightly on Tenn's door in the interest of stopping that spiral before it goes too deep; it might be that he can't do much in that sense, but hey, he's at least going to try.]
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There's something about Marcus being around that gets Tenn to let his walls down. He just feels like someone who's safe to be around. Someone Tenn can trust with this kind of vulnerability. So...as soon as he sees Marcus, his expression turns pained, remorseful. ]
Marcus-san...
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While he's not used to having that instinct kicked into quite so high gear, this place sure seems to be good at doing just that. One look at the expression on Tenn's face is enough to get him to hold out his arms in a silent invitation; whether or not Tenn wants to take it is entirely up to him.
Something tells him that he knows what the answer is going to be, though.]
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I -- I killed him. I killed Moriarty-san.
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No, you didn't. The only one with blood on his hands here is Hamelin for putting us all in this game of his in the first place.
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But -- he was my friend, he trusted me, and I did this. I did this, all because I couldn't...I couldn't handle hiding the truth.
[ He hates Hamelin, yes. That much is absolutely true. But right now, he hates himself, too. And that's not something he feels very often.
It hurts. ]
How is anyone supposed to trust me after this?
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[It's said gently, more an attempt to steady him than anything else.]
Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know him as well as you do, but he sure didn't seem angry at you for telling the truth back there. Or am I misremembering things?
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[ Tenn is 99% sure of it, anyway. He'd have known if Moriarty was mad, he's pretty sure -- and that was not behavior of a man who was upset with him in that way. ]
I don't know what he's thinking a lot of the time. That guy is mysterious...
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[Point-blank.]
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[ Well. That's one way to get him to go quiet, at least... ]
I don't know... Why else would he have told me, if he didn't want me to keep it a secret?
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[Calling Tenn out? Maybe just a little.]
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[ He kind of sniffles a little, and looks up to give Marcus a flat look. ]
Okay. Fine. Yes, it does.
[ He'll concede!!! ]
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[...]
Look. I'm not gonna tell you how to feel about what happened, but I am gonna tell you that blaming yourself for it isn't going to do anyone any good. All it'll do is play right into what Hamelin wants from us.
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[ A few more sniffles before he straightens himself out a little bit. ]
Okay. Okay, you're right.
[ A deep breath. ]
Thank you, Marcus-san.